Category Archives: Indulge

Want to pass the time on a lazy, rainy, fall afternoon? Google songs that contain the word ‘butt’. There are many. MANY. But few are as catchy as Sir Mix Alot’s “Baby Got Back” and the opening line in all its Valley Girl glory is iconic “Oh my God Becky, look at her butt”

And while your shakin your thang, bake this easy, delicious, made-completely-in-the-food processor Apple Bundt Cake. Any recipe that is so straightforward that you can (Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty while you’re making it is a WINNER. Here goes my bundt-y-ilicious friends: Continue reading → (1123)

As I’ve mentioned before, I am not a vegan but I seem to attract people who are to some degree or another. Many of my friends are devoted vegans, others just until dinner, or on mondays, or until they travel to Argentina, or vegan because that’s how they justify their french fry consumption, in other words vaguely vegan….Vague-An. Regardless of how flexible my friends are in their commitment to eliminate all animal products from their diets, I still really enjoy having a recipe in my arsenal that I can offer them when they come over or when I’m invited to their homes.

This banana bread is vegan but you wouldn’t know it. It’s so easy to make, it’s moist, chocolatey, and even the non-vegans in the group will love it. It’s free of animal products but contains (are you sitting down?) WHITE all purpose flour because whole wheat, gluten free, and sawdust flour really alter the magical texture of this recipe. Also, just how annoyingly healthy do you want to be? The secret to this banana bread’s texture: coconut oil. Oh and the (vegan) chocolate chips don’t hurt one bit. Continue reading → (2304)

I loved being pregnant. I mean REALLY loved being pregnant. I was that annoying, always smiling, belly rubbing, eye roll inducing, soaking it in kind of pregnant gal. Maybe it was the three miscarriages that came before, and maybe it was that I was so completely flipping grateful that THIS WAS IT, that my life long desire to be a mother was actually going to be fulfilled.

Those 40 weeks were some of the happiest of my life despite the 17 weeks of torturous 24 hour nausea and despite the twice self administered daily heparin shots. I was high, high, high on hormone marination. And just as soon as I got pregnant, I craved lemon and completely lost my appetite for chocolate.

You know the Starbucks Lemon Loaf? The one with that little coating of hardened lemony sugar glaze? I lived for that but being the crazy vain disciplined bitch that I am, I only caved twice. Yes, twice. In 9 months! So, every time I see that lemon cake, or smell lemon it brings me back to the blissful days of incubating my little boy. This lemon cake is my mother’s recipe. It’s simple, lemony, delicious, kicks Starbucks’ Lemon Loaf’s processed ass and wait for it…it’s made entirely in the food processor. Continue reading → (1913)

It’s marathon Sunday here in NYC and I am sitting at my kitchen counter, staring at my computer asking myself how I can pay tribute to and honor the unbelievable and awe inspiring physical feat that is the ING New York City Marathon. I’ve cheered my friends on, gotten choked up at the sea of warriors refusing to give up, sent out all the congratulatory texts and emails, and have high fived runners walking home wrapped in their orange blankets. But what more can I do? Bake some kick ass brownies of course because that’s just what I do. Those who can’t run (this year) bake!

These brownies are easy, quick, require few ingredients, and elicit loud and wildly inappropriate moans from all who indulge. And to all of you who ran 26.2 flipping miles today…. INDULGE THE CRAP OUT OF YOURSELVES

NO, you haven’t mistakenly stumbled upon someone else’s blog. Yes, I am still passionately in love with butter and eggs and I am far from vegan. But, perhaps I am vaguely vegan: a vague-an. I rarely eat meat these days, but the Argentine in me suspects I haven’t given up steak for the rest of my life. I can go days living on vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts but then find myself craving fish or chicken. When I bake I’m usually very stubborn about avoiding substitutes for the butter, eggs, dairy because since sweets should only account for a small fraction of your daily caloric intake why not make it really count. And, sorry folks but something made with dates and almond milk just isn’t going to scratch my itch. Until now…. Continue reading → (1590)

Some recipes fall squarely and unapologetically in the ‘indulge’ category and without fail those recipes are the ones most often requested. We just can’t fight the fact that butter tastes so flipping good. Sometime there is just no substitute. Bow your head. Accept. Move on.

This recipe for Chocolate Chip Blondies is one of those recipes. And you won’t be surprised to hear that it’s adapted from an Ina Garten’s recipe. I adore that woman and I love that she loves butter and her husband Jeffrey almost equally. Continue reading → (1323)

Have you ever been invited to someone’s home and you offer to bring desert before finding out that among the guests there is:

a) a wheat allergy

b) a dairy allergy

c) a psychotic adversity to fat

d) a nut allergy

and oh it just happens to be Passover. Yes, I could bring a boring, self-righteous, no-one-really-wants fruit salad, but instead I have these in my arsenal. These are my go to cookies for just this occasion.

I shared this recipe with my friend Denise Cummings the owner of Pip’s Place a gluten free bakery in NYC because it is a celiac friendly cookie since the recipe has no flour. It is one of her best sellers and I’d be lying if I didn’t say it makes me a little proud to have contributed this cookie to her ever expanding gluten free empire. Continue reading → (2159)

I’ve been baking these cookies at least once a week for ten years (you know since I was 20). I originally found the recipe inside the Baker’s semisweet chocolate box (nuh-uh don’t start getting all chocolate snob on me, this supermarket brand works perfectly in this recipe) and have tweaked it over time. It’s a simple one bowl recipe with few ingredients that requires no electric or standing mixer, just your arm and a spatula. My son and I have been making these together since he was a toddler and this is how he learned to crack an egg. My family loves them, they are perfect in my boy’s lunchbox, popular in a bake sale, a dinner party favorite, great on a road trip and in a get well care package, they make a perfect ice cream sandwich, they are unbelievable with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and berries, or dunked into some ice cold milk. These cookies are loved by young and old. Stoned or straight. They are the bomb. Period. Continue reading → (2337)